If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably gotten asked the traditional, “So, what do you do?” question before.

You know, that familiar phrase that often comes up in any polite conversation. The answers in any given setting can range from teacher, to nurse, to dentist, to hair stylist, to stay-at-home mom, and everything in between. It’s usually a simple answer and the conversation moves forward.

But, for nutrition coaches, being asked this question can conjure up feelings of intimidation or embarrassment. Oftentimes, saying, “I’m a nutrition coach!” is followed by something like, “Oh, so you’re going to tell me what to eat?”

You see, there is a lot of misunderstanding around what a nutrition coach actually is.

In fact, when ITN Founder Cynthia Garcia tells people she’s a coach, their first response is sometimes, “Oh really? For what sport?”

Now, we’ve come a long way since most of those responses have been given, but the truth remains that the coaching industry is a very misunderstood field. And, it doesn’t help that many people market themselves as “health coaches” even if they lack proper training.